"Maine Turnpike board agrees on toll hikes" by Clarke Canfield | Associated Press, August 03, 2012
PORTLAND, Maine — During a series of public hearings on the toll hikes, a number of people complained about the inequities of the toll system, where motorists can pay vastly different rates per mile depending on where they get on and off the highway.
Board member Robert Stone voted against the plan in part because of the inequality.
It is impossible to come up with a totally equitable system in which all motorists pay the same per-mile rate, but the plan voted on Thursday should appease some of the critics, particularly in central Maine, said Peter Mills, the turnpike’s executive director.
‘‘We’ve done our best to accommodate them,’’ he said.
Even with the toll increases, turnpike officials said Maine’s toll rates are among the lowest in the country for both electronic toll payers and trucks.
Board members agreed that it would be smart to begin exploring the concept of an all-electronic toll system, as a number of other states now use on sections of toll highways.
All drivers paid the same amount per mile years ago, but that was when toll employees dispensed tickets and collected money at every exit. That required hundreds of toll workers and was costly.
I take it unemployment is not?
Under an all-electronic toll system, there would not be any cash toll collections. Motorists with electronic payment devices known as transponders in their cars would pay one rate, while drivers without the devices would pay a higher rate. The turnpike authority would have to photograph license plates and send bills through the mail to motorists who didn’t have transponders, Mills said....
I thought that was only to catch terrorists.
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Also see:
Police break up two-state prostitution ring
Oddball Maine museum runs afoul of town
Maine man, 102, dies from crash injuries
George H.W. Bush endorses Charlie Summers for US Senate
Which means do not vote for him.
College-enrolled veterans warned of benefits scam
Sheriff’s deputies to use facial recognition software to check identities
And you thought Maine was a backwoods.
Mouthing Off in Maine
Can't even do that anymore.
